[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1188-H1190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO CHILE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1144) expressing condolences to
the families of the victims of the February 27, 2010, earthquake in
Chile, as well as solidarity with and support for the people of Chile
as they plan for recovery and reconstruction.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1144
Whereas, on February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake,
one of the largest ever recorded, struck off the coast of
Chile;
Whereas casualty estimates, which number in the hundreds
and continue to grow, as well as the destruction of entire
coastal villages and extensive damage to highways, bridges,
apartments, and infrastructure, have led to the Government of
Chile's declaration of a ``state of catastrophe'';
Whereas an estimated 2,000,000 people, including upwards of
1,500,000 displaced persons, have been directly affected by
the earthquake, the tsunami, and its aftermath;
Whereas aftershocks numbering over 100, including 8
aftershocks registering above a 6.0 magnitude, continue to
affect the coast and the rest of the country after the
initial 120-second tremor, the strongest and most damaging
earthquake in Chile in the last 50 years;
Whereas Chile had already overcome the trials of more than
a dozen previous 7.0-magnitude or greater earthquakes since
the 1960 Valdivia 9.5-magnitude quake, the largest ever
measured, which left thousands dead;
Whereas the tsunami caused by the earthquake, which came
shortly after, with waves measuring over 19 feet, slammed 124
miles of Chile's coast and accounted for a significant
percentage of the casualties and missing;
Whereas the threat of potential tsunamis across the ``Ring
of Fire'' earthquake area prompted warnings and advisories
issued from Hawaii to as far as the California coast and
Alaska;
Whereas according to the United States Geological Survey
(USGS), Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, was 70 miles
from the earthquake's epicenter and suffered some of the
worst damage, and its hundreds of thousands of residents
initially remained largely cut off from the remainder of the
country without many basic necessities, including running
water and electricity;
Whereas the coastal town of Dichato and its 4,000 residents
were among the hardest hit, and is reportedly 80 percent
destroyed;
Whereas 80 percent of Talcahuano's 180,000 residents living
on the Chilean coast were left homeless by the earthquake;
Whereas initial estimates of the damage costs range from
$15,000,000,000 to $30,000,000,000;
Whereas basic necessities across the country, including
electricity, clean water access, telephone access, and
communication systems, continue to be restored on a
progressive basis in many zones;
Whereas the Government of Chile continues to deliver aid to
affected citizens to the best of its ability, including
airlifting supplies to remote towns;
Whereas the Government of Chile has taken significant
measures to maintain order and public security in the streets
to prevent more widespread panic and chaos as damage
assessments are made and relief is delivered;
Whereas Chile is a political and economic leader and a
close ally of the United States in Latin America;
Whereas the people and Government of Chile have stood
resolute and steadfast in the face of a long history of
destructive earthquakes;
Whereas Chile's stringent building codes, which one local
architect called ``our proud building standards'', as well as
the Government of Chile's ability to implement them, greatly
mitigated the impact of this catastrophic natural event both
in terms of casualties and physical damage to the
infrastructure of the country;
Whereas Chile showed its deep generosity and responsibility
as a regional ally when it deployed Chilean earthquake rescue
teams, which Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has
described as among the best in the world, to Haiti following
its devastating earthquake earlier this year;
Whereas these search and rescue teams continue to work
tirelessly to save more lives from collapsed buildings and
neighborhoods struck by the earthquake in Chile;
Whereas several international urban search and rescue teams
remain prepared to deploy to Chile if the need arises;
Whereas sitting Chilean President Michelle Bachelet
declared the natural disaster ``a catastrophe of such
unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort to
recover'';
Whereas incoming Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, to be
sworn in March 11, 2010, expressed that ``The future
government is working tirelessly and will continue to
confront the emergency that Pres. Bachelet is facing, because
the emergency will not be
[[Page H1189]]
over in five days. We are set to tackle something even more
difficult, which is to lift Chile up, to reconstruct our
country'';
Whereas President Obama declared that the United States
``stands ready to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts
and we have resources that are positioned to deploy should
the Chilean government ask for our help.'';
Whereas Secretary Clinton visited Chile on March 2, 2010,
delivering crucial communication equipment, and vowed that
``We'll be here to help when others leave because we are
committed to this partnership and this friendship with
Chile.''; and
Whereas the world stands ready to swiftly aid those
affected by this epic natural disaster: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) mourns the significant loss of life, as well as the
physical damage, caused by the February 27, 2010, earthquake
and resulting tsunami in Chile;
(2) expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy to the
families of the victims of this horrific tragedy, and
solidarity with the millions of affected Chileans;
(3) recognizes that Chile is and remains a close ally and
friend of the United States;
(4) recognizes that Chile's embrace of democratic ideals
and the Government of Chile's ability to implement strict
building standards due to its strong governance structure
greatly mitigated the impact of this natural disaster;
(5) commends the rescue, relief, and recovery actions,
still underway, taken by the Government of Chile;
(6) commends the United States Government, the entire
international community, and nongovernmental organizations
for their prompt deployment of assistance to Chile;
(7) urges the President to continue to support the
Government of Chile, as it assesses its relief and recovery
needs; and
(8) pays tribute to the resilience, strength, and courage
of the people of Chile as they begin the recovery and
rebuilding process.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Connolly) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
General Leave
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of
this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume.
This resolution, introduced by my good friend and colleague from
Texas, Ruben Hinojosa, marks the tragedy of a second powerful
earthquake in as many months to strike a country in the Western
Hemisphere, this time our close friend and ally Chile.
On February 27, an 8.8-magnitude tremor struck just 70 miles away
from Chile's second largest city, Concepcion, and has left a terrible
toll in its wake. The Chilean people have a long history of resolve in
the face of past earthquakes. Last month's quake was one of the largest
ever recorded, and the worst to hit the country since a 1960
earthquake, the strongest ever measured.
The tsunami and aftershocks from this quake, one of which measured
6.3 this past Friday, led to the declaration of a state of catastrophe
for this economic and political leader in Latin America. The Chilean
people are now faced with an unprecedented challenge to recover and
rebuild, and they deserve our support.
Official casualty estimates number in the hundreds, while another 2
million people, including as many as 1.5 million displaced persons,
were directly affected by the temblor and the crashing 19-foot waves
that soon followed. In addition to the human toll, estimates of the
cost of physical damage range from $15 to $30 billion, including the
destruction of entire coastal villages, damages to roads, bridges,
residences, and other infrastructure.
The international community rallied behind Chile with financial
contributions, donations of telecommunications equipment, and offers of
expert technical help in the immediate aftermath of this 120-second
quake, which was 500 times more powerful than the 7.0-magnitude tremor
that hit Haiti just over 6 weeks prior. In this context, it is
important to highlight Chile's generosity in dispatching some of its
own outstanding earthquake rescue teams to Haiti in that country's time
of desperate need just weeks before.
It is also worth noting that Chile's embrace of good governance, and
specifically its ability to create, implement, and enforce strict
building codes played a major role in mitigating the effects of this
terrible event, which could have had so much more by way of loss of
lives.
In spite of this epic natural disaster, the Chilean people and their
government remain committed to the principles of unity and rebuilding
their lives and restoring their country. This resolution makes it clear
that as they go about this critical task, the United States stands with
them.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
resolution, and reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today as a proud original cosponsor of the bill before us,
House Resolution 1144, and join my colleagues in expressing our
heartfelt sympathy to all of those impacted by the devastating
earthquake in Chile 2 weeks ago. The strength and the magnitude of this
quake and its resulting tsunami caused hundreds of lives to be lost and
left countless survivors homeless.
As the Government of Chile continues to carry out its immediate
relief and recovery efforts and complete its damage assessments, we are
just beginning to get a sense of how much this destruction has brought
about. Nearly 1.5 million homes are reported to have been damaged, and
many historic structures collapsed. An estimated 2 million people in
Chile were displaced by the quake and the subsequent tsunamis that
swept away entire coastal towns. However, the democratic stability and
the strong government structures in place prior to the earthquake will
undoubtedly enable Chile to respond responsibly to this disaster. In
particular, its commitment to free market principles will allow private
sector actors to immediately respond to certain damaged sectors such as
water and sanitation. This will help to minimize the tremendous
challenges facing the government of Chile in the aftermath of the
crisis. It will allow domestic and international assistance to go only
where it is absolutely needed.
The U.S. Southern Command, SOUTHCOM, based in my home district of
Miami, Florida, has played a vital role in providing necessary
assistance to the people of Chile. While we are carrying out important
relief efforts in Haiti, here the U.S. military has helped to provide
important satellite communications equipment to the emergency operation
and response officials in Chile. What an incredible statement that is
for our wonderful men and women serving our Nation's Armed Forces.
Our military is also in the process of deploying an Expeditionary
Medical Support team, EMEDS unit, to help increase crucial medical
capabilities in that country. And we thank them for their prompt
action.
I join my colleagues in expressing our condolences to those impacted
by this terrible disaster. The United States will continue to stand
side by side with the people of Chile as they begin to recover.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and
colleague from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the ranking member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee.
I now yield 4 minutes to the chairman of the Higher Education
Subcommittee, my friend from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).
Mr. HINOJOSA. I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding time.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1144. The
resolution expresses the House of Representatives' condolences for the
families of the victims of the powerful earthquake in Chile, as well as
solidarity with and support for the people of Chile.
Let me first thank Chairman Berman, Subcommittee Chairman Engel, and
my friend and colleague Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for helping bring
this resolution to the floor. I would also like to thank my colleagues
in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who are unanimously in support of
H. Res. 1144.
[[Page H1190]]
Chile and the United States have a long-standing and important
partnership. It is one of mutual respect and understanding. Both
countries understand their democratic and economic prosperity are
aligned, and that we need to work together for our mutual benefit. The
Congressional Hispanic Caucus has worked to build on this relationship
by recognizing the rich cultural heritage both nations share.
As chairman of the CHC's task force on commerce and international
relations, I am committed to working with my colleagues to strengthen
our relations with our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere.
{time} 1515
The devastating disaster that has struck Chile is a humanitarian
imperative requiring immediate action. Millions of families have lost
their home or been displaced by the gigantic earthquake and the
following tsunami and strong aftershocks. Hundreds have died and many
are still missing. Hundreds of thousands of families in Chile remain
without running water or power.
The United States has been quick to respond to President Bachelet's
call for help and is providing much-needed equipment to reestablish
communication and has deployed two C-130 cargo planes to help transport
humanitarian cargo. The United States stands ready to provide whatever
additional aid is necessary to help the victims of this natural
disaster. We have seen the generosity of the American people during the
recent disaster in Haiti, and I am confident that spirit of generosity
will also be extended to the people of Chile.
In closing, I want to say that the resolution recounts the tragic
events that have unfolded in Chile so I will not read it again. The
resolution reaffirms the House of Representatives' commitment to the
people of Chile to aid in their speedy recovery. We applaud the resolve
and the resilience of those affected by the earthquake. The people of
Chile on other occasions have come together to help their friends and
neighbors rebuild. Today we want to assure them that we will stand by
their side to help as they recover from this tragedy.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Hinojosa
for his leadership on this important resolution, and I thank my
colleague from Florida.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1144.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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